Turning Headers On and Off

You already know that the headers in a worksheet come in handy. This is the gray area, at the left and top of a worksheet, which indicates the row and column label used by Excel. You click in the header area if you want to select either a row or header. You also know that you can adjust the height or width or rows or columns by using the row and column header area.

Even though this area is very useful, there may be times when you do not want it displayed. For instance, if you are using Excel to create an on-screen form, then the header areas may be distracting to the intended users of the form.

To control whether headers are turned on or off, follow these steps if you are using a version of Excel prior to Excel 2007:

1. Choose Options from the Tools menu.
2. Make sure the View tab is selected. (Click here to see a related figure.)
3. Make sure the Row & Column Headers check box is selected. If cleared, then the header area is not displayed.
4. Click on OK.

If you are using Excel 2007 then you should follow these steps:

1. Click the Office button and then click Excel Options. Excel displays the Excel Options dialog box.
2. At the left of the dialog box click Advanced.
3. Scroll through the available options until you see the Display Options for this Worksheet section. (Click here to see a related figure.)
4. Make sure the Show Row and Column Headers check box is selected. If cleared, then the header area is not displayed.
5. Click on OK.

Notice that Excel does not allow you to control the display of row and column headers individually—they are either both on or both off.